Austin’s alexalone released their new album, ALEXALONE TECHNICAL RESEARCH, in September, and you can stream it below. As the year draws to a close, we’ve been asking artists about their favorite music of 2023, and the band’s Alex Peterson and Sam Jordan each listed albums for us (including a couple from 2022). Read their lists, complete with their commentary, below.
ALEXALONE’S FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2023
Alex’s picks:
Jason Calhoun – small circle
This record will tickle your brain. It’s somehow incredibly melodic while riding the line of being noise without ever fully belonging to that camp. I also love merzbowland but I think this is just a beautiful record and strikes a great balance of soothing and harsh.
DOMi & JD BECK – NOT TIGHT
Jazz, breakbeats and an amazing group of guest appearances (Herbie Hancock, Anderson .Paak, Snoop Dog, Thundercat, etc) that only add to the music. This is probably my most listened to record this year. I was excited when it got announced and it blew me away and still does. A perfect mix of instrumentals, rap and song. I’m stoked for whatever they do next
A.L. West – The Store
I’m biased about this one since I helped get it out there via my tape label SPIRIT RESEARCH but it’s just a really great & cohesive record. I liked (songwriter) DB’s last band dude elsberry, but this record really hits all the right spots. A little bit of Pavement, Elliott Smith, Nick Drake but also throws you some curveballs, check it out!
Deerhoof – Miracle-Level
Somehow Deerhoof outdo themselves every time. All of the same amazing tricks plus many new ones. This record sounds so, so good. There is a 10 minute YouTube recording of a documentary that I recommend for anyone who wants more information about the sounds on this record. I think it’s their best yet and my favorite record of theirs so far.
Palehound – Eye On The Bat
The record goes so hard. It doesn’t have to but it does. “The Clutch” is going to live in everyone’s brain from the moment they hear it and the songs go even harder live.
Frankie Cosmos – Inner World Peace
This record came out in 2022 but it’s still fresh in my brain. Frankie made a record that only they could have made and it’s truly amazing. The sounds, the production, the songs go beyond whatever you want to call them before, and coalesce into a cohesive record that has hints of Stereolab etc at times. Love seeing the inner world come to the surface
Sam’s pick:
Palm – Nicks and Grazes
Although this album came out in late 2022, I’ve spent lots of time in 2023 jamming it. It’s Palm at their best for audio production and possibly my favorite recorded album – mixing, sounds, etc. there’s some darker synth stuff in this album that I like.
